Bishop Stepan Meniok, C.Ss.R. (; born 19 August 1949) is a

Ukrainian Greek Catholic The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a major archiepiscopal '' sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Catholic Church, it is in full communion with the Holy See. ...

hierarch, who serves as an Archiepiscopal Exarch of Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Donetsk (11 January 2002 – 17 October 2024) and a Titular Bishop of

Acarassus Acarassus, or Akarassos, was a city in ancient Lycia. The town, with high probability, was located at the site of today's Elmalı, Antalya Province, Turkey. Bishopric Since it was in the Roman province of Lycia, the bishopric of Acarassus was a ...

since 11 January 2002.

Life

Bishop Meniok was born in the family of clandestine Greek-Catholics Petro Meniok in Nakonechne,

Yavoriv Raion Yavoriv Raion () is a raion (district) in Lviv Oblast in western Ukraine. Its administrative center is Yavoriv. It was established in 1939. Its estimated population is On 18 July 2020, as part of the administrative reform of Ukraine, the number ...

Lviv Oblast Lviv Oblast (, ), also referred to as Lvivshchyna (, ), is an administrative divisions of Ukraine, oblast in western Ukraine. The capital city, capital of the oblast is the city of Lviv. The current population is History Name The region is named ...

Ukrainian SSR The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, abbreviated as the Ukrainian SSR, UkrSSR, and also known as Soviet Ukraine or just Ukraine, was one of the Republics of the Soviet Union, constituent republics of the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1991. ...

. After graduation of the school education, he graduated the technical college #1 in Lviv and made a compulsory service in the

Soviet Army The Soviet Ground Forces () was the land warfare service branch of the Soviet Armed Forces from 1946 to 1992. It was preceded by the Red Army. After the Soviet Union ceased to exist in December 1991, the Ground Forces remained under th ...

during 1969–1971. After this time he became a clandestine member of the

Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer The Redemptorists, officially named the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (), abbreviated CSsR, is a Catholic clerical religious congregation of pontifical right for men (priests and brothers). It was founded by Alphonsus Liguori at Scal ...

, where he had a

profession A profession is a field of Work (human activity), work that has been successfully professionalized. It can be defined as a disciplined group of individuals, professionals, who adhere to ethical standards and who hold themselves out as, and are ...

on 8 November 1975 and a solemn profession on 8 October 1981. Meniok was ordained as

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

on 8 July 1984, after completed clandestine theological studies and worked as pastor among the faithful of the "Catacomb Church" in

Belz Belz (, ; ; ) is a small city in Lviv Oblast, western Ukraine, located near the border with Poland between the Solokiya River (a tributary of the Bug River) and the Richytsia stream. Belz hosts the administration of Belz urban hromada, one of ...

and Kamianobrid until 1990. From 1990 he openly served as priest, missionary and founder of the new Greek-Catholic parishes after the

Dissolution of the Soviet Union The Soviet Union was formally dissolved as a sovereign state and subject of international law on 26 December 1991 by Declaration No. 142-N of the Soviet of the Republics of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Declaration No. 142-Н of ...

. During 1994–1998 he was a Rector of the Theological Seminary in Lviv and after, during 1998–2002 as a Rector of the Ukrainian Redemptorists province Theological Seminary. On 11 January 2002 Fr. Meniok was appointed and on 15 February 2002 was

consecrated Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

to the

Episcopate A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of dioceses. The role ...

as the first Archiepiscopal Exarch of the new created

Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Donetsk-Kharkiv The Ukrainian Catholic Archiepiscopal Exarchate of Donetsk () is one of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (Byzantine Rite, Ukrainian language)'s five Archiepiscopal Exarchate (Eastern Catholic pre-diocesan missionary jurisdiction under a Major ...

. The principal

consecrator A consecrator is a bishop who ordains someone to the episcopacy. A co-consecrator is someone who assists the consecrator bishop in the act of ordaining a new bishop. The terms are used in the canon law of the Catholic Church, Lutheran Churches ...

was Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, the Head of the

Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church The Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) is a Major archiepiscopal church, major archiepiscopal ''sui iuris'' ("autonomous") Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern Catholic church that is based in Ukraine. As a particular church of the Cathol ...

. He retired on 17 October 2024, after turning an age limit of 75 years old.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Meniok, Stepan 1949 births Living people Clergy from Lviv Oblast Ukrainian Eastern Catholics Bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Redemptorists Redemptorist bishops 21st-century Eastern Catholic bishops